THE PROPERTY FILTER TAKE
Landlords failed to secure their full rent rise in 71.6% of 74 published First-tier Tribunal decisions in England in September 2026 (Cyborg Finance analysis reported by Mortgage Strategy).
What your tenants are thinking: a challenge usually does not freeze the rent, as 67.6% of cases still ended with a higher rent, but only 28.4% gave the landlord the full increase.
Consider gathering comparable local lettings before you serve a rent increase notice, and testing your figures at the rent you can evidence rather than the rent you hope for.
Landlords failed to secure their full rent rise in 71.6% of First-tier Tribunal cases decided in England in September 2026. The figure comes from Cyborg Finance analysis reported by Mortgage Strategy on 2 November 2026. Just 28.4% of landlords received the full increase they asked for. But tenants who challenged mostly still ended up paying more.
What happened in September's tribunal cases?
Cyborg Finance, a mortgage adviser, reviewed 74 published decisions of the First-tier Tribunal (the independent body that settles rent disputes in England). The 71.6% figure covers four outcomes: a smaller increase than requested, no change, a rent reduction or a case struck out (Mortgage Strategy). It is not a count of rent rises refused outright.
The Negotiator's report on the same research breaks it down. 21 of 74 cases gave the landlord the full increase, and 29 (39.2%) ended with a partial increase. Twelve (16.2%) ended with no increase, and another 12 with either a reduction or a rejection.
So more than two-thirds of cases, 67.6%, still produced a higher rent in full or in part (Mortgage Strategy). Average monthly rent rose from £1,372 to £1,464, an increase of £92 a month or £1,104 a year. Cyborg says the aggregate increase of 6.7% was slightly higher than the 6.3% recorded in August.
Cyborg says the figures cover published tribunal decisions and may not capture every case decided during the month. In practice, this is a picture of disputed rents, not of market rent growth across England.
What does this mean for landlords and tenants?
For landlords, the rent in your notice is a proposal, not a guarantee. Mark Hosker, Mortgage Adviser at Cyborg Finance, said in comments reported by Mortgage Strategy that landlords "should be ready to support proposed rents with comparable local evidence". If your yield only works at the full proposed rent, our free stress test calculator shows how your numbers look at a lower figure.
For tenants, Hosker's message cuts the other way. He said challenging an increase "does not guarantee their rent will stay unchanged". He said a challenge could delay higher rent payments "by around four months". With "nearly three-quarters of landlords failing to secure their full proposed increase", he added, "the £47 tribunal fee could prove money well spent."
That is the tension in practice. A tenant may see a challenge as low risk. A landlord may see a delay to the higher rent, plus the strain a dispute puts on a tenancy.
How does a rent challenge work under the Renters' Rights Act?
GOV.UK's guidance for landlords sets out the process for assured periodic tenancies in England. Landlords can raise rent only once a year, by serving a section 13 notice (the formal rent increase notice, form 4A) at least two months before the new rent starts. A tenant who thinks the new rent is above the open market rent can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide.
GOV.UK's guide to the Renters' Rights Act says tenants will never pay more than the landlord asked for. It says a new rent applies from the date of the tribunal's decision rather than being backdated. And in cases of undue hardship, it says the tribunal can defer an increase by up to a further two months.
Timing therefore matters. Cyborg's wider tracker shows an average of around 91 days between a landlord serving a rent notice and a tribunal decision, in cases recorded since May (Mortgage Strategy). The Act is reshaping tenancies in other ways too, as we covered in our report on landlords switching to room-only tenancies.
For a wider view of how rent setting fits a long-term plan, our property investment strategies hub covers yield and tenant retention. Our free property resources are a starting point for reviewing your lettings paperwork.
Key takeaways
Landlords failed to secure their full rent rise in 71.6% of 74 published First-tier Tribunal decisions in England in September 2026 (Cyborg Finance analysis reported by Mortgage Strategy).
Only 28.4% of landlords received the full increase they sought, while 67.6% of cases still ended with a higher rent in full or in part.
Average monthly rent rose from £1,372 to £1,464, an increase of £92 a month or £1,104 a year, according to the same analysis.
The aggregate increase was 6.7% in September, against 6.3% in August.
Cyborg's tracker shows an average of around 91 days between a rent notice and a tribunal decision, in cases recorded since May.
Frequently asked questions
How often do landlords get their full rent increase at tribunal?
Does challenging a rent increase stop the rent going up?
Can the tribunal set a rent higher than the landlord proposed?
How long does a rent tribunal case take?
